The USB-C to Apple Pencil dongle represents all the pieces mistaken with Apple

Welcome to our weekend Apple Breakfast column, which incorporates all the Apple information you missed this week in a helpful bite-sized roundup. We name it Apple Breakfast as a result of we predict it goes nice with a morning cup of espresso or tea, nevertheless it’s cool if you wish to give it a learn throughout lunch or dinner hours too.

Blame it on the dongle

Macworld’s overview of the Tenth-gen iPad went stay this week (and is linked beneath). It’s an odd overview: In some ways, it’s a optimistic write-up, with the enticing design, glorious cameras, and Magic Keyboard Folio help all incomes honest reward. However there have been sufficient quibbles to knock it down to three stars–not least the frankly ridiculous dongle required to pair the iPad with the one model of the Apple Pencil it helps.

Dongles, which value additional and get misplaced, and make all the pieces much less handy, are understandably a sore level for Apple customers, they usually appear to be proliferating. Utilizing a dongle at all times jogs my memory of what Steve Jobs stated about (appropriately sufficient) styluses: in the event you see a dongle, they blew it. A dongle is a tacit acknowledgment that one thing has gone mistaken. Both the mistaken product has been purchased for the job, or it was designed mistaken within the first place. Apple has had loads of dongles over time, however the Apple Pencil adapter is especially irritating.

1. It doesn’t even work as a Lightning to USB-C adapter

A general-use Lightning/USB-C adapter would have some utility, however as a Redditor found by way of intensive testing, the dongle seems to be a single-use product. So, in the event you had been hoping to make use of the dongle to repurpose your outdated Lightning cables, you’re out of luck.

2. You’ll lose it

After all, you’ll. It’s tiny and it doesn’t connect to something when not in use. After which your Apple Pencil shall be ineffective till you pay one other $9.

3. It doesn’t ‘simply work’

The author of this column considers himself no less than reasonably tech-savvy however was baffled for roughly half an hour whereas attempting to cost an outdated Apple Pencil utilizing the adapter. I assumed you’d be capable to go Apple Pencil > adapter > USB-C-to-USB-C cable > USB-C energy adapter > outlet, however that acquired me nowhere quick. You must use a cable and hook up with the iPad to cost. (The truth that Apple Pencils don’t have any technique of indicating after they’re charging is one other ache level.) As indicated within the first level, the dongle is sweet for just one particular use case, however to most customers that gained’t be apparent at first.

4. It’s there to upsell you to a greater mannequin

The dongle may be very a lot of a chunk with Apple’s common strategy this 12 months, which we’ve additionally seen with the weirdly cautious iPhone 14 improve: Purchase the higher mannequin. Apple is an organization that’s enormously detail-oriented, and at a sure level you need to assume that the issues in its entry-level merchandise usually are not there due to managerial missteps or lack of assets, however as a result of they need to prod you into shopping for one thing costlier.

5. It creates extra e-waste

As talked about above, the dongle is now bundled with the 1st-gen Apple Pencil, however now we have to imagine that no less than a few of these gained’t be wanted (when the Pencil is purchased by a Ninth-gen iPad proprietor, for instance) and can find yourself in a landfill. Others shall be misplaced (see level 2) and find yourself in a landfill. And the truth that it doesn’t work as a general-use adapter (see level 1) will contribute to the variety of Lightning cables ending up in a landfill.

Inefficient design isn’t simply dangerous for the person—it’s dangerous for the setting. And if Apple cared concerning the setting as a lot because it claims, it will have discovered a greater answer.

6. Apple’s had years to kind this out

Apple nonetheless sells the 1st-generation Apple Pencil as a result of it nonetheless sells a Lightning iPad. The Ninth-gen mannequin is the final iPad to have a Lightning port, so so long as it’s nonetheless bought, the unique Apple Pencil must exist. Truthful sufficient. However the USB-C swap didn’t occur yesterday. The primary USB-C iPad Professional and the 2nd-gen Pencil got here out in 2018.

Given 4 years to plan for the change-over on the usual iPad, it’s absurd that Apple hasn’t give you a extra elegant answer than this. The obvious could be help for the 2nd-gen Pencil, so whether or not it’s an engineering difficulty, value difficulty, or improve difficulty (see level 4), the entire Lightning factor appears to have taken Apple without warning.

Apple, we maintain listening to, is probably the most useful firm on this planet, with a valuation properly in extra of $2 trillion. Over the newest quarter, Apple made the comically unimaginable sum of $90 billion, so it might in all probability afford to overlook out on a number of {dollars} right here and there in favor of person goodwill and an improved person expertise. However no: Apple loves hoovering up the nickels and dimes. It’s shoving additional advertisements onto the App Retailer, pushing up the costs of its subscription providers, and now charging $9 for an adapter. (Granted, the adapter does now come free with the 1st-gen Apple Pencil, however in the event you purchased one years in the past, you’ll must pay up.)

The USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter is Apple’s design at its worst: We solely want to make use of it as a result of Apple was lazy, cussed, and a little bit grasping.

IDG

Apple may be nice or it may be Google–however it could’t be each, says Jason Snell.

The iPhone’s most promising function is being wasted. MagSafe might have supplied distinctive experiences, however all we acquired had been magnets.

The Macalope is anxious about Apple’s perspective. It appears cash can make anybody a jerk.

This epic M1 Mac mini-Nintendo Wii mashup is the mod of our desires.

Even with document income, Apple can’t purchase our belief.

This Chrome function is so good it’d make us swap from Safari for good.

As Apple’s costs maintain going up, the place will the worth come from?

There’s doom on the horizon for Apple–and advertisements are the one reply.

Opinions nook

In our Apple Watch Extremely overview, we have a look at a convincing Garmin killer–however one with downsides to think about.

Our iPad (2022) overview, in the meantime, finds a stunning disappointment.

(We’ve additionally in contrast the 2022 and 2021 iPad fashions, to see which normal iPad is best for you.)

Lastly, our Third-gen Apple TV 4K overview concludes that the greatest new function is the worth.

(On a associated observe, Michael Simon explains why he purchased a 2021 Apple TV 4K as a substitute of a brand new one.)

The rumor mill

Apple is reportedly engaged on a massive Siri change that no person requested for.

The following spherical of M2 Macs might have been pushed again to 2023.

The iPhone 15 Professional may not have any precise buttons.

The glowing Apple brand might be the subsequent MacBook function to make a comeback.

Podcast of the week

Apple’s iPad lineup is ready for the 2022 vacation procuring season, and one factor is for certain: There are loads of fashions to select from. We’re speaking concerning the state of the iPad on this episode of the Macworld Podcast.

You possibly can catch each episode of the Macworld Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or our personal website.

Software program updates, bugs & issues

Apple is planning a significant dwelling display format change in iOS 16.2.

Apple has patched a pair of safety flaws with the macOS Ventura 13.0.1 replace.

Google warns all Mac customers to patch a ‘excessive danger’ Chrome safety flaw.

“Privateness issues” have been raised over utilization knowledge assortment on the App Retailer.

The 2nd-gen AirPods Professional simply acquired a mysterious firmware replace.

And with that, we’re executed for this week. When you’d prefer to get common roundups, join our newsletters. You can even comply with us on Twitter for breaking information tales. See you subsequent Saturday, get pleasure from the remainder of your weekend, and keep Appley.